Veterinary Drug Residues Exceeding Limits Detected in Eggs in Many Regions; Egg Quality and Safety Under the Spotlight Again!
The several veterinary drugs involved above are mainly:
I. Dimetridazole
Properties: Dimetridazole is a nitroimidazole-class antiparasitic drug with good therapeutic effects against protozoa such as chicken coccidia, histomonads, and trichomonads.
Use: mainly used for the prevention and treatment of parasitic diseases such as coccidiosis and blackhead disease in poultry.
Risks: Long-term consumption of animal products containing dimetridazole may cause embryotoxicity and mutagenicity, posing a potential threat to human health.
Regulatory requirements: China explicitly prohibits the use of dimetridazole in laying poultry; the drug must not be detected in eggs and egg products.
II. Enrofloxacin
Properties: Enrofloxacin is a third-generation quinolone synthetic antibacterial drug with strong inhibitory effects on Gram-negative bacteria.
Use: clinically used to treat bacterial infectious diseases in poultry such as colibacillosis and salmonellosis.
Risks: Enrofloxacin is metabolized to ciprofloxacin in the human body, which may cause articular cartilage lesions and pose a certain risk to children's bone development.
Regulatory requirements: The maximum residue limit (MRL) of enrofloxacin in eggs is 10 μg/kg. Exceeding this limit may cause certain harm to human health when consumed.
III. Metronidazole
Properties: Metronidazole is an anti-anaerobic and antiprotozoal drug with good efficacy against anaerobic organisms such as Trichomonas and Giardia.
Use: mainly used for the prevention and treatment of diseases such as trichomoniasis and blackhead disease in poultry.
Risks: Metronidazole has certain mutagenicity and teratogenicity; long-term intake or overdose may increase the risk of gastrointestinal tumors.
Regulatory requirements: China stipulates that metronidazole residues must not be detected in eggs, to avoid unnecessary harm to consumer health.
In addition to the above three veterinary drugs, various other veterinary drug residues may also exist in fresh eggs. Although veterinary drugs play a certain role in disease prevention and treatment during livestock and poultry farming, misuse, overuse, or use within the withdrawal period can easily leave residues in livestock and poultry products, endangering consumer health. Therefore, it is necessary to strictly comply with veterinary drug use regulations, strengthen control over the farming process, and strictly enforce veterinary drug residue testing to effectively ensure food safety. CATO provides supporting testing reference standards to jointly build a defense line for food production, circulation, and catering safety.
